Strip-coating apparatus



March 20, 1928.

- R. AMBLER STRIP COATING APPARATUS Filed May 5. 1927 Patented Mar. 20,1928;

UNITED STATES PATENT." OFFICE.

sonar 3..

AHBLER, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE .B. F. GOODRIGH COMPANY,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

STRIP-COATING APPARATUS.

Application filed May 8, 1927. Serial No. 188,466.

This invention relates to apparatus for applying a liquid such asrubber-cement'to a continuous strip ofunate'rial such as a strip ofsheeted rubber compound or a strip of rubberized fibrous material.

My chief objects are to provide a stripcementing apparatus in which thestrip may be intermittently fed without excess absorption of the cementsolvent at the cementing position during the intervals between feedingmovements; to provide conveniently for intermittent feeding of the stripand for functioning of the coating means only durin feeding movements ofthe strip; to provide for maintaining a variable supply of the coatedstrip such as to permit withdrawal from and replenishment of thestorage-supply at different times or at different rates,

the strip extending in continuous formthrough the storage-supply; toprovide for an extended drying of the coatedstrip while it, remains inthestorage-supply; and to provide for automatic starting of the feed ofthe strip into the storage-supply when the supply falls below adeterminate amount and for automatic stopping of such feeding of thestrip when the supply is suitably replenished. A further ob]ectis toprovide simple and inexpensive apparatus for coating and for otherwisemanipulating the strip material.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred embodiment of my invention.

.Fig. 2 is a perspective view of parts of the same including a pair ofcoating or cementing rolls in operative relation.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of parts of the apparatus including thecoating rolls in inoperative relation.

Referring to the drawings, the cementing device here shown is associatedwith a festooning rack 10 provided with a' serles 0 upper rolls 11, 11journaled on fixed axes 45 in the upper part of the frame and a set oflower rolls 12, 12 journaled in a floating frame 13 provided at its endswith guidebrackets such as those shown at 14,14 adapted to run invertical guide-ways formed in so the frame, eac

vided with a pair of anti-friction rollers 15, 15 spaced a suificientdistance vertically from each other to prevent cramping of the floatingframe and to compel it to maintain a container 18 mounted nal blocks hguide-brackets being proy horizontal position while rising anddescendlng in the frame of the rack, the frame belng of such weight asto maintain of'equal length the loops of a strip of material 16 threadedin alternation over the upper rolls 11 and under the lower rolls 12,when the strip of material is drawn from the rack, about a guide-roll 17or is fed to the rack from the cementing device. v

The cementing device comprises a cement upon a table 19 adjacent thein-feed end of the festooning rack.

a knurled lower cementing roll 20 journaled with its lower partextending into a supply of cement 21 in the tank 18, and means includinga sprocket chain 22 for'continuously driving the said lower or cementingroll. An adjustable scraper 23 (Fig. 2) preferably is provided forremoving excess of cement from the rising face of the rolL, Rising fromthe sides of the container 18 is a pair of brackets which are connectedat their tops by a crossmember 25, each bracket being formed, with avertical guide-way for a slldableajournal block 26, in whichblocks arejournaled the trunnions of an upper, presser roll 27 urged downwardtoward the lower, cementing roll 20 by compressionsprings such as thespring 28 interposed bet-ween 26 and the cross-member 25, the presserroll 27 and the cementing roll -20 being adapted to coact as a pair ofpinch rolls to draw the strip material 16 from a such as the bracket 24,

the respective jourof the strip as the latter passes between'the tworolls.

To lift the roll 27 from the roll 2( to the f position in which it isshown in Fig. 3, so

that the roll 27-and strip will-cease to be driven by contact of thestrip wlth the lower roll, each journaled block 26 has secured thereto apull rod 33 extending upward through the spring 28 and the cross-member25 and having its upper end secured to a oke 34, the yoke beingconnected at 1ts middle to the piston rod 35 of a fluid pressurecylinder 36 mounted upon the crossmember 25 and rovided at its lower endwith a fluid-z'iupp y and exhaustp pe 37.

of pressure fluid such as a compressed-air line has connection with thepipe 37 by way of a three-way, hand-operable valve 39 adapted forcharging and venting the cylinder 36, and also by way of an automaticthree-way charging and venting valve 40 having its operating lever 41connected with a solenoid 42, the solenoid being in circuit with aswitch 43 mounted on the frame of the festoomng rack near thebottom ofthe latter and adapted to he opened by contact 'of'a cam shoe 44 mountedupon the floating frame 13 when the loops of material in the rack haveattained'their maximum length, so that the cylinder 36 will be chargedand the feeding of the strip material to the rack will be stopped untilsuch time as the floating frame 13 is lifted, by withdrawal of the stripmaterial from the'rack, the switch 43 being adapted automatically toclose as the cam shoe 44passes out ofcontact with its actuating lever,to cause the cylinder 36 to be vented and the feeding of the material tothe rack to be resumed by pressure of the rolls 27 and 20 thereon underthe force of v the springs 28.

In the operation of the apparatus, the strip 16 being threaded throughthe apparatus as shown and the cementing roll 20 being continuouslydriven, the strip is fed to the rack by the rolls 27 and 20 and iscemented on its under side, by the roll 20, as it passes to the rack,until such time as the rack has been so filled that the cam shoe 44opens the switch 43 and'thereby charges the cylinder 36 and so lifts thepresser roll 27 to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3.

This not "only, causes the feeding of the material to the rack to stopbut also causes the strip 16 to be lifted out of contact with thecementing roll 20, the weight of the floating frame 13 being sufficientto maintain the strip taut about the presser roll'27, and this avoidssuchr continued contact of the strip with the cementing roll 20 as tocause the strip to absorb an excessive amount of solvent from thesurface of the cementing roll or as to cause a congestion and drying ofcement at a local position on the strip.

As soon as a sufficient length of strip 16 has been withdrawn from therack to lift the floating frame 13 so that the cam shoe 44 leaves theswitch 43 the switch 43 automatically closes, which causes the actuatinglever 41 of the valve 40 to be lifted by the solenoid 42 and vents thecylinder 36, permitting the feeding and cementing of the strip to beresumed.

This arrangement is such that the festooning rack may be kept filled oralmost filled at all times, so that a large quantity of the strip 16 isexposed at all times for drying of the cement and each part of the stripis consequently given a relatively long drying eriod. p Alternatively,or at such times' as the floating frame 13 is in an intermediateposition, the feeding and cementing of the strip can be controlled bymeans of the handoperable valve 39, as for substituting a new stock rollfor the roll 29. I

The construction is such as to provide the several advantages set out inthe above statement of objects and it'may be variously modified Withoutdeparture from the scope of my invention as defined in theappended'claim.

I claim:

Strip-coating apparatus comprising means for supporting a variablestorage-supply of a continuous strip of material in a series of loopsand for drawing the strip into the said supply by yieldingly maintainingthe loops taut, hold-back means for giving off the strip to the drawingmeans, the holdback means comprising a driven coating roll and a looselyjournaled presser roll mounted for movement into and out of coactingrelation to the coating roll, and means for so guiding the strip aboutthe presser roll that the tension of the strip will cause it to leavethe coating roll when the presser roll is moved away from the coatingroll.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of April,1927.

